Printing telegraph apparatus



y 5, 1960 J. HANDLEY 2,944,111

PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet1 4 FIGB.

H L34 Inventor A ttorn e y y 5, 1950 J. HANDLEY 2,944,111

PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet2 Inventor JJ/A/V EV Attornev y 5, 1960 J. HANDLEY 2,944,111

PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet3 Inventor J. /V [V A #torn e y July 5, 1960 J. HANDLEY PRINTINGTELEGRAPH APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Jan. 21, 1955 FIG.4.

FIGS.

.1 0 I. m U n 1 United States Patent PRINTWG TELEGRAPH APPARATUS JohnHandley, Pnrley, England, assignor to Creed &

Company Limited, Croyden, Surrey, England, a British company Originalapplication Jan. 21, 1955, Ser. No. 483,313. Di-

vided and this application De'c. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 704,583

1 Claim. (Cl. 178 -35) This invention relates in general to printingtelegraph apparatus and in particular to a mechanism for positioning atelegraph type carrier. its principal object is to provide new andimproved type-carrier positioning mechanism of the aggregate motion typewhich is reliable and accurate.

In telegraph apparatus of the above character, signal combinations arereceived and stored on control plates, which through aggregate motionmechanisms and gear trains, selectively position the type carrier inaccordance with the received signals. In prior-art telegraph apparatusemploying aggregate motion mechanisms, backlash is present in thelinkages, resulting in faulty or improper setting of the type carrier.

According to the present invention, this type-carrier positioningdifiiculty is overcome by providing an aggregate motion mechanism whichis devoid of backlash and thus is reliable and accurate in positioningthe carrier. More specifically, the positioning of the type carrier iscontrolled by gear trains driven by links, which through spring-loadedrocker arms controlled by rocker cams and associated control plates,smoothly respond to code settings without extraneous movements orbacklash.

The present invention is a division of my copending application forPrinting Telegraph Apparatus, Serial No. 483,313, filed January 2, 1955.The manner in which the noted signal combinations are received andstored on the control is described in the above noted application andwill not be described herein.

Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent andthe invention will be better understood from reference to theaccompanying drawings comprising Figs. 1 to wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a teleprinter, certain parts of which areremoved to show the operation of the aggregate motion mechanism;

Fig. 2, taken along lines II-II of Fig. 1, shows a portion of thecontrol plates, rocker arms and earns;

Fig. 3, takenalong lines IIIIIl of Fig. 1, shows a portion of the typecarrier and associated gear trains;

Fig. 4shows the aggregate motion mechanism of Fig. 1, and- Fig. 5 showsa pictorial representation of a number of control plates positionedaccording to a received signal combination.

A general description of the invention will now be given by referring tothe various figures to show their particular operation.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, five control plates 34, 36, 38,40 and 42 are selectively positioned, by individual code speakers, in anadvanced or retarded position in accordance with the received signalcombination. The operation of the code pecker is described in the notedapplication. When these control plates are operated they will be movedin the direction indicated by arrows A. Five cam followers or typesetting rockers 99 to 103 have a forward end which engages respectivelycorresponding control plates 34 to 42, when operated. The other end ofeach type setting rocker has a link, such 2 944,l ll Patented July 5,1960 ice 2 as 111 to 113, associated therewith, these links beingconnected to the aggregate motion mechanism of Fig. 4.

When shaft 19 rotates, the type-setting rockers associated with anoperated control plate is prevented from following their cams, but theremaining rockers follow the profiles of the associated printing cams104 to 108, and impart movement to their associated links, therebyoperating the aggregate motion mechanism of Fig. 4.

When the aggregate motion mechanism is operated, longitudinal movementis imparted to shafts 121 and/or 131 which are connected to the gearassembly shown in the right-hand side of Fig. 3. This causes rotation ofgear 139 which selectively positions the type carrier associatedtherewith. As will appear hereinafter, the aggregate motion mechanismhas the links spring-urged against the cam followers which are in turnurged against corresponding cams.

A detailed description of the invention will now be given:

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, two sets of five interleaved control plates34 to 43 are shown, the interleaving permitting alternate settings ofsuccessive signal combinations. As hereinbefore pointed out, the settingof the control plates is described in the copending application.

Referring to Fig. 2, the control plates 34 to 43 are mounted so thatthey may slide inrails 44 and 45. When a signalcombination has been setup on one set of control plates, and shaft 19 rotates, selected ones ofthe links 111 to 113 move the aggregate motion mechanism of Fig, 4.

Rocker 99 is allowed by its associated cam to drop 3 units of length,thus permitting link 111 to move 4 units, provided that control bar 42has not been operated. The other rockers 100-103, however, are allowedto drop 6 units by their respective cams, when no control bar isoperated. Their associated links 112-115 are thus allowed to move 8units each.

Links 111 and 112 are connected to each end of the first summationrocker 116. The centre of this rocker 116 and the end of link 113 areconnected to the ends of the second summation rocker -1-17. The centreof the rocker 117 is pivoted midway between the centreand the end pivotof the arm 118, which is connected by link 119 to cross arm 120. Thecentre of cross-arm is pivoted on the rack 121, and pulled by spring 109under link i119.

Consider now that the rocker 99 is released allowing link 111 to move 4units to the right in Fig. 4, all the other rockers 100-103 and links112-115 retaining their unoperated positions. This movement of link 111causes rocker 116 to pivot about point 401, so that the end of therocker 116 attached to link 111 (i.e. 405) will move four units, and thecentre of rocker 116 (i.e. point 406) will therefore move two units.Rocker 117 which is attached to the centre of rocker 116 is thereforecaused to pivot about point 402 and its centre will move up one unit.The centre of rocker 117 is attached to the midpoint of arm 118 which istherefore caused to pivot about point 403 so that the end of arm 118moves two units. This movement of two units is transferred through link119 to the cross-arm 120 which pivots about point 404. The centre of thecrossarm 120 therefore moves one unit, as does also the rack 121 towhich it is attached. Rack 121, through gears 122, 123-424, 125126, 127and 128 (Figs. 1 and 3) turns the type wheel 129 (Figs. 1 and 3) (whichis made of nylon) in an anticlockwise direction one sixteenth of arevolution, ie, one position.

Considering now the case in which rock-er 100 alone is released, thelink 112 will move 8 units as the cam permits twice as much movement asthe first cam controlling rocker 99, but all the other rockers 99 and'101 to 103 and the links 111 and 113 to 115 will retain theirunoperatcd 3. positions. In this case rocker 116 is caused to pivotabout point 405 and its centre will move 4 units. This movement is twicethat caused by the movement of link 111. in the case described above,and is transferred through the' same mechanism as described there torack 121'which is moved two units. The type wheel 129' is thereforecaused to move two positions. I

If rockers 99 and 100 are both released together the type wheel movesone'plu's two to position three i.e. three sixteenths of a revolutionanti-clockwise" If the rocker 101 is released alone, link 113 willmove 8units. Link 113 is attached to rocker 117 at point 402 and thereforecauses rocker 117 to pivot about point 406.

The centre of rocker 117 will therefore move 4 units, and this movementis transferred through arm 118, link 119 and cross-arm 120 to rack 121which-also moves 4 units. The-type wheel 129 is therefore movedfour'positions or one quarter of. a revolution anticlockwise.

Then links 101. and 99' released together, four plus one, would move thetype wheel 129 five positions, links 100 and 101, together, two plusfour, would move it six posi tions, and if links 99, 100 and 101 arereleased together, one plus two plus four, the type wheel would turnseven sixteenths' of a revolution anti-clockwise and move sevenpositions. Links '99, 100 and 101 thus give a choice of any one of eightpositions, referred to as -7.

When rocker 102 alone is released, link 114 is allowed to move 8 unitsand links 111--113 and 115 remain in their unopera'ted positions. Link114 is attached to the short end of rocker130 at a point immediatelybeneath but quite independent of point 401. Rocker 130 pivots aboutpoint 403 and causes the end of its long arm to move 16 units in theopposite direction, i.e. to the left in Fig. 15. This movement istransferred through link 131 to cross-arm 120 which in this case willpivot about point 407, i.e. the junction between link 1119 andcross-arrn120. "The centre of cross-arm' 120 will therefore move 8 units in theopposite direction to the movements caused by'links 111"to 113, and thetype wheel 129 will be turned half a revolution in a clockwisedirection.

Operationof the rockers 99 to 101 in conjunction with 102 subtract fromthis half revolution clockwise by their anti-clockwise movements to markthe intermediate positions between the eight mentioned above andsixteen. It will be seen that the clockwise movements are urged byspring 110 under link 131 in the opposite direction to link 119 andspring 109.

a l 4 When a figure shift signal is received it is necessary to lift thetype wheel 129 to a third or fourth level of type. The figure shiftsignal, in a manner which is described in the cognate completespecification already referred to, allows another type-setting rocker141 (Fig. 1) to drop as it follows the contour of its associated cam.This operates link 143 (Fig. 1), which is connected to the 4 other endof summation rocker 132. Link 143 moves rack 133 through twice thedistance moved in response tomovement of rocker 103 and brings the typewheel 129 up to print from the third level of type. When type-settingrockers 103 and 101 are operated together 'the type wheel 129 is liftedto bring the fourth level of type into printing position.

The position of the type selected may not be quite correct owing toslight inconsistencies in the mechanism, and a number of correctors haveto be provided to overcome these inconsistencies.

- which might result from varying clearances between the 1 provided totake up .any play in the gears so that the links bring the type wheel tothe correct position.

, While the principles of the invention have been described above inconnection with specific embodiments, and particular modificationsthereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is madeonly byway of example and not as a limitation on the scope of theinvention. r

What I claim is:" In printing telegraph'apparatus, a plurality ofcontrol plates and means for operating them in accordance with receivedtelegraph signal combinations, a type carrier, a plurality of cams andassociated cam followers for. respective control plates, each camfollower including 1 means controlled by the operation of its associatedcontrol The fifth rocker 103 moves link 115 8 units, which plate forpreventing the cam follower from following the contour of its associatedcam, an aggregate motion mechanism and means linking it to the typecarrier and to the cam followers for controlled movement to selectively.position the type carrier in accordance with the received signalcombination, and anti-backlashmeans urging eachcam follower against itsassociated cam.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent r V UNITED STATES PATENTSOberman May 8, 1951 2,562,825 Segaar July 31, 1951 has; J: J

